RALEIGH -- Starting Jan. 22, access to Crowders Mountain State Park from the north on Sparrow Springs Road will be interrupted by a N.C. Department of Transportation repair project.

The project is expected to take at least five weeks. Access to the state park from the south using Sparrow Springs Road will remain available.

Visitors approaching Crowders Mountain State Park from I-85, south along Sparrow Springs Road, must follow a six-mile detour to the park marked by DOT signs. That route is described at: http://www.mapquest.com/?version=1.0&hk=2-gAHtNKCB.

All visitors should approach the main park entrance with caution since the roadway will be reduced. Visitors are also encouraged to consider as an alternative the Boulders Access Area at 108 VanDyke Road in Kings Mountain, which offers sufficient parking even on busy weekends. For more information, call the park office at 704-853-5375.